Analysis Of COI Research Articles

Redescription of the highly endangered species Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829) (Mollusca, Gastropoda)

ABSTRACT Scutellastra mexicana (Broderip & G.B. Sowerby I, 1829) is the largest limpet in the world and a highly endangered species from the Eastern Pacific that has faced a road to extinction during the last decades. Despite the relevance of S. mexicana, basic data, such as those relevant to its biology and ecology, have not been studied. In addition, previous descriptions of the species were focused only on shell morphology with few details. Very different morphologies between small and large-sized specimens were reported previously, in accordance with the trait already described for specialist species about adult/juvenile differentiation. Here, a new set of data about shell description, soft tissue, radula and genetics are reported in order to make a re-description of the species. Both type of specimens (small and large-sized) genetically belong to S. mexicana with clear traits on shell morphology and soft tissue parts that allow an accurate identification. Considering that small morphology can be found in reproductive specimens, such differences would be caused by shell growth and the erosion provoked by the extreme wave-exposed environment where the species lives. Analyses of the independent COI and 16S datasets revealed that none of the sequences of S. mexicana had any close relationship with other members of Scutellastra; thus, S. mexicana formed an independent and monophyletic clade relative to the other clades.

The label “Cação” is a shark or a ray and can be a threatened species! Elasmobranch trade in Southern Brazil unveiled by DNA barcoding

Sharks exhibit peculiar characteristics, which may lead to overfishing to cause irreversible damage to stocks and failing to restore original population sizes. Although global fin trade has decreased since 2000 meat trade has increased, with Brazil figuring as the largest shark meat importer worldwide. Still, in Brazil, elasmobranchs are traded under the label “cação” making it difficult to monitor what species are actually being traded. To overcome elasmobranch fraudulent trade, molecular techniques have been developed aiding in illegal trade monitoring. Therefore, the objective of the present study was apply DNA barcoding technique (COI analysis) as a molecular support tool for the identification of shark species commercialized in the main fish markets of southern Brazil. A total of 650 base pairs (bp) of barcode COI from 231 samples were sequenced and analyzed, identifying 16 different elasmobranch species, being 12 shark species and four batoid species. About 43.3% of the total sampled consists of species listed in some IUCN risk category (e.g. Carchariastaurus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Sphyrna lewini, S. zygaena, Squatina guggenheim). A key step for conservation would be encourage the consumer to demand the correct identification of the meat consumed. Such an attitude may influence the decision of supermarkets and fish markets to purchase only correctly identified products, which in turn would lead to the need for specialists actively and constantly working alongside fishery landings.

Arboviruses and Blood Meal Sources in Zoophilic Mosquitoes at Human-Wildlife Interfaces in Kenya.

Background: Zoophilic mosquitoes play an important role in the transmission of arboviruses of medical importance at human-wildlife interfaces, yet arbovirus surveillance efforts have been focused mostly on anthropophilic mosquitoes. Understanding the diversity of zoophilic mosquitoes and their associated feeding patterns and arboviruses can inform better vector control strategies. Materials and Methods: We morphologically identified mosquitoes collected from two game reserves in Kenya, the Maasai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) and locations near the Shimba Hills National Reserve (SHNR). Representative mosquitoes were also identified by cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) barcode sequencing. In addition, we identified the vertebrate hosts of mosquito blood meals from the contents of each mosquito's abdomen by high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis and sequencing of COI, 16S ribosomal RNA, and cytochrome b gene PCR products. Similarly, mosquito arbovirus infections were identified by HRM analysis and sequencing of Alphavirus- and Flavivirus-specific RT-PCR products. Results: Of 2858 mosquitoes collected, 51 were engorged with blood meals from seven different vertebrate hosts, including humans, birds, domestic, and peridomestic animals and wildlife. Culex was the most abundant mosquito genus, with Culex pipiens being the most abundant species in both study regions. Among MMNR samples, we detected dengue serotype-2 virus (DENV-2) for the first time in Aedes tarsalis and Aedes tricholabis, as well as Sindbis virus in male Cx. pipiens. We also detected DENV-2 in Aedes aegypti sampled from locations near the SHNR. Human and diverse wildlife blood meals were identified, including bushbuck blood in the dengue-infected Ae. tarsalis and both human and hippopotamus blood in a single Eretmapodites chrysogaster mosquito. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the potential risk of sylvatic dengue and Sindbis transmission to humans by zoophilic mosquitoes at human-wildlife interfaces in Africa. Of specific importance, we provide evidence of sylvatic DENV-2 in Ae. tarsalis and Ae. tricholabis, representing potential new dengue vectors.

Genetic analysis and population structure of the Anopheles gambiae complex from different ecological zones of Burkina Faso

The Anopheles gambiae complex (Diptera: Culicidae) is the most important vector for malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa, besides other vectors such as Anopheles funestus. Malaria vector control should encompass specific identification, genetic diversity and population structure of An. gambiae to design vector control strategies.The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of sibling species of the An. gambiae complex according to climatic regions related to cotton-growing or cotton-free areas by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Then, variation in mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) was used to assess the genetic structure within and between populations from our selected ecological zones.At the sibling species level, the following proportions were found across all samples (n = 180): An. coluzzii 65.56%, An. gambiae stricto sensu (s.s). 21.11%, and An. arabiensis 3.33%. Hybrids between An. gambiae s.s. and An. coluzzii (7.78%) and hybrids between An. coluzzii and An. arabiensis (2.22%) were found. The phylogenetic tree and Integer Neighbour-Joining (IntNJ) haplotype network did not reveal any distinct genetic structure pattern related to climatic or agricultural conditions in Burkina Faso. The Fst (Wright's F-statistic) values close to zero showed a free gene flow and no differentiation in An. gambiae complex populations. Furthermore, neutrality indices calculated by Tajima's D, Fu and Li's D⁎, Fu and Li's F⁎, Fu's Fs tests suggested an excess of rare mutations in the populations.Overall, variation in the proportions of An. gambiae s.s., An. coluzzii and An. arabiensis was found according to climatic regions, but COI analysis did not evidence any population structuring of the An. gambiae complex. These scientific contributions can be used as a basis for further in-depth study of the genetic diversity of the An. gambiae complex for epidemiological risk assessment of malaria in Burkina Faso.

Integrative taxonomy reveals new taxa of Trochidae (Gastropoda: Vetigastropoda) from seamounts in the tropical western Pacific

During two expeditions to seamounts near the Mariana Trench in the tropical western Pacific, several trochiform shells from the upper bathyal zone were sampled. Morphological observations of these specimens suggest that they represent two new species that belong to the family Trochidae, but the shell morphology, radular plan, and external anatomy differ considerably from those of closely related genera. A new subfamily, Carinotrochinae subfam. nov., and a new genus, Carinotrochus gen. nov., are proposed herein to accommodate these two species. Carinotrochus marianaensis sp. nov., the type species, was associated with coral debris at a depth of 865 m, and Carinotrochus williamsae sp. nov. was discovered crawling on a hydroid Stegolaria sp. that was attached to a dead bamboo coral at a depth of 1332 m. Genertic analysis of mitochondrial COI, 16S rRNA, and nuclear 28S rRNA genes using maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and pairwise uncorrected p-distances confirmed that the new taxa are trochids but do not belong to any existing defined subfamily. Molecular clock analysis based on concatenated sequences (COI, 16S, and 28S) indicated that Carinotrochinae subfam. nov. split from its shallow water sister subfamily Trochinae roughly 80 Mya during the Late Cretaceous.

Molecular phylogenetics of deep-sea amphipods (Eurythenes) reveal a new undescribed species at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain, North East Atlantic Ocean

The genus Eurythenes S. I. Smith in Scudder, 1882, has been the focus of integrated molecular and morphological taxonomy studies in recent years, resulting in the number of species in the genus increasing from three to eight. Samples of Eurythenes spp. collected using free-fall baited traps from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP), North East Atlantic Ocean, at 4850 m were examined in this study to investigate the identity of the species found using molecular barcoding methods. Mitochondrial COI analysis confirms the presence of E. maldoror at PAP and data from the nuclear 28S rDNA gene provides independent confirmation of this observation. A new, undescribed species that is clearly divergent from all other known species and molecular lineages was identified, which can be distinguished morphologically from known species. A specimen within the E. magellanicus lineage was also found at the site. We discuss the presence of these three Eurythenes species at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain.

Revision of the Merodon serrulatus group (Diptera, Syrphidae).

The phytophagous hoverfly genus Merodon Meigen, 1803 (Diptera, Syrphidae), which comprises more than 160 species distributed in Palaearctic and Afrotropical regions, can be differentiated into multiple groups of species that harbor high levels of hidden diversity. In this work, the serrulatus species group of Merodon is revised, providing an illustrated key to species, a detailed discussion on the taxonomic characters and a morphological diagnosis, including also the first data about the preimaginal morphology of this species group. The study includes characteristics of the 13 species of the M. serrulatus group, along with the available distributional data. Moreover, descriptions are provided for seven new species, namely M. defectus Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., M. disjunctus Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., M. medium Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., M. nigrocapillatus Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., M. nigropunctum Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., M. opacus Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov., and M. trianguloculus Vujić, Likov & Radenković sp. nov. In addition, the taxa M. serrulatus (Wiedemann in Meigen, 1822), M. bequaerti Hurkmans, 1993, M. hirsutus Sack, 1913, M. kawamurae Matsumura, 1916, M. sacki (Paramonov, 1936) and M. sophron Hurkmans, 1993 are redefined and redescribed. Following a detailed study of the type material sourced from different entomological collections, the status of all available taxa related to M. serrulatus is revised and a new synonymy is proposed: M. tener Sack, 1913 syn. nov. (junior synonym of M. serrulatus). The identity of M. trizonus (Szilády, 1940) could not be assessed as the type specimens are lost. Thus, the name M. trizonus is considered as nomen dubium. The monophyly and composition of this species group are assessed through Maximum Parsimony and Maximum Likelihood analyses of the mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rRNA gene sequences.

A New Species of Predatory Nudibranch (Gastropoda: Trinchesiidae) of the Scleractinian Coral Goniopora.

Members of the nudibranch genus Phestilla are common predators of scleractinian corals, but currently this genus has 10 described species only. Here we describe Phestilla goniophaga sp. nov., the first formally named predatory nudibranch species of the stony corals from the genus Goniopora. The new species can be distinguished from its congeneric species by the large number of long cerata (up to 16 rows and 23 cerata per row), and white rounded hump on the notum. The hump resembles the mouth of the coral poly, while the cerata resemble the coral tentacles. The egg masses of P. goniophaga sp. nov. are unique among Phestilla spp. egg masses in being bright orange in color, and forming a coiled ribbon. Analysis of the COI, 16S rRNA and H3 genes of P. goniophaga sp. nov. also showed that this species is distinct from other congeneric species.

Robust image segmentation for feature extraction from internal combustion engine in-cylinder images

In-cylinder imaging diagnostics for internal combustion engines provide rich information on the structure and evolution of reaction zone features, which affect both engine out emissions and efficiency. However, the most common analysis of in-cylinder combustion luminosity imaging considers ensemble averaged images, which are not suitable for characterizing processes that vary significantly between cycles, such as ignition and soot formation and oxidation. Here, a robust image segmentation algorithm is presented for feature extraction from single-cycle in-cylinder combustion images and is used with a ‘combination of interpretations’ (COI) approach to analyze OH*-chemiluminescence imaging of premixed and non-premixed natural gas combustion modes in an optically-accessible reciprocating engine.Dynamic thresholding and region size filtering are combined with watershed segmentation to create a parameterized adaptive watershed (PAW) segmentation algorithm. The fusion of these segmentation methods is novel to combustion imaging and is demonstrated to provide quantified improvement relative to the current state of the art segmentation methods; PAW segmentation provides increased sensitivity for early ignition processes, and more robustly identifies the reaction zones at later stages of combustion. The PAW algorithm requires no adjustment between the two considered combustion modes or for any stage of the combustion process. The reliability of the PAW output enables feature extraction of individual reaction zone location and area from the combustion images using a polar-sector coordinate system for COI analysis. This approach characterizes the cyclic variability of individual fuel jets, identifies coupling of auto-ignition behavior between adjacent reaction zones, and demonstrates systematic errors arising from measurement of auto-ignition in ensemble averaged images. Application of PAW segmentation and the analysis approach presented here can provide more complete characterization of other spatially-resolved internal combustion diagnostics, particularly where there is high process variability, overlapping image regions, or wide signal intensity ranges.

Integrative systematics and ecology of a new deep-sea family of tanaidacean crustaceans

A new family of paratanaoidean Tanaidacea – Paranarthrurellidae fam. nov. – is erected to accommodate two genera without family classification (Paratanaoidea incertae sedis), namely Armatognathia Kudinova-Pasternak, 1987 and Paranarthrurella Lang, 1971. Seven new species of Paranarthrurella and two of Armatognathia are described from material taken in different deep-sea areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The type species of Paranarthrurella — P. caudata (Kudinova-Pasternak, 1965) — is redescribed based on the paratype. The genus Cheliasetosatanais Larsen and Araújo-Silva, 2014 originally classified within Colletteidae is synonymised with Paranarthrurella, and Arthrura shiinoi Kudinova-Pasternak, 1973 is transferred to Armatognathia. Amended diagnoses of Armatognathia and Paranarthrurella genera are given. Choosing characters for distinguishing and defining both genera was supported by Principal Component Analysis. Designation of the new family is supported by molecular phylogenetic analysis of COI and 18S datasets. The distribution of all species currently included in the new family was visualised and their bathymetric distribution analysed.

Phylogenetic relationships and subgeneric classification of European Ephedrus species (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Aphidiinae).

In this study two molecular markers were used to establish taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of Ephedrus subgenera and species distributed in Europe. Fifteen of the nineteen currently known species have been analysed, representing three subgenera: Breviephedrus Gärdenfors, 1986, Lysephedrus Starý, 1958 and Ephedrus Haliday, 1833. The results of analysis of COI and EF1α molecular markers and morphological studies did not support this classification. Three clades separated by the highest genetic distances reported for the subfamily Aphidiinae on intrageneric level. Ephedrus brevis is separated from persicae and plagiator species groups with genetic distances of 19.6 % and 16.3 % respectively, while the distance between persicae and plagiator groups was 20.7 %. These results lead to the conclusion that the traditional subgeneric classification of Ephedrus needs revision. Species from persicae species group are raised to subgenus level as Fovephedrus Chen, 1986 and Lysephedrussyn. nov. is assigned as a junior synonym of subgenus Ephedrus. Key for identification of Ephedrus subgenera is provided. Ephedrus hyadaphidis Kocić & Tomanović sp. nov. is described and several species are confirmed as valid species for the first time. Furthermore, two species are synonymised: E. dysaphidissyn. nov. as a junior synonym of E. cerasicola and E. blattnyisyn. nov. as a junior synonym of E. plagiator.

Mitochondrial and nuclear genetic analyses of the tropical black-lip rock oyster (Saccostrea echinata) reveals population subdivision and informs sustainable aquaculture development

BackgroundThe black-lip rock oyster (Saccostrea echinata) has considerable potential for aquaculture throughout the tropics. Previous attempts to farm S. echinata failed due to an insufficient supply of wild spat; however, the prospect of hatchery-based aquaculture has stimulated renewed interest, and small-scale farming is underway across northern Australia and in New Caledonia. The absence of knowledge surrounding the population genetic structure of this species has raised concerns about the genetic impacts of this emerging aquaculture industry. This study is the first to examine population genetics of S. echinata and employs both mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers.ResultsThe mitochondrial COI data set included 273 sequences of 594 base pair length, which comprised 74 haplotypes. The SNP data set included 27,887 filtered SNPs for 272 oysters and of these 31 SNPs were identified as candidate adaptive loci. Data from the mitochondrial COI analyses, supports a broad tropical Indo-Pacific distribution of S. echinata, and showed high haplotype and nucleotide diversities (0.887–1.000 and 0.005–0.008, respectively). Mitochondrial COI analyses also revealed a ‘star-like’ haplotype network, and significant and negative neutrality tests (Tajima’s D = − 2.030, Fu’s Fs = − 25.638, P < 0.001) support a recent population expansion after a bottleneck. The SNP analyses showed significant levels of population subdivision and four genetic clusters were identified: (1) the Noumea (New Caledonia) sample location; (2) the Bowen (north Queensland, Australia) sample location, and remaining sample locations in the Northern Territory, Australia (n = 8) were differentiated into two genetic clusters. These occurred at either side of the Wessel Islands and were termed (3) ‘west’ and (4) ‘east’ clusters, and two migrant individuals were detected between them. The SNP data showed a significant positive correlation between genetic and geographic distance (Mantel test, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.798) and supported isolation by distance. Three candidate adaptive SNPs were identified as occurring within known genes and gene ontology was well described for the sex peptide receptor gene.ConclusionsData supports the existence of genetically distinct populations of S. echinata, suggesting that management of wild and farmed stocks should be based upon multiple management units. This research has made information on population genetic structure and connectivity available for a new aquaculture species.

Molecular identity of Nemoura lacustris (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) throughout its distributional range.

The recent report of Nemoura lacustris Pictet, 1865 in Great Britain has raised doubts on its identity, given the isolation with respect to the Mediterranean and continental populations of this species. Using molecular analyses, we tested if populations from the United Kingdom and the Iberian Peninsula were conspecific and tested the hypotheses of a recent colonization event versus a more ancient origin for the British populations. Phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial marker COI allowed us to conclude that the United Kingdom specimens morphologically ascribed to N. lacustris were conspecific with populations from France and the Iberian Peninsula. Based on the genetic divergence of the two reciprocally monophyletic clades from the Iberian Peninsula and Great Britain/France, respectively, the present distribution of N. lacustris can be postulated as a relatively recent dispersal or introduction into Great Britain from France. Finally, we note the isolated position displayed by N. lacustris in the phylogenetic tree of Nemoura species based on COI sequences, as the sister to all included species of the genus. This isolated position corresponds with the specific morphology of N. lacustris genitalia and requires additional studies to ascertain clearer generic boundaries within the Nemouridae.

New Oligoneuriidae (Insecta, Ephemeroptera) from Iran.

Two new species of the mayfly family Oligoneuriidae are described based on larval specimens recently collected in Iran. The first new species, Oligoneuriella tuberculata Godunko & Staniczek, sp. nov., can be distinguished from all its congeners by the presence of pronounced protuberances posteromedially on abdominal terga, highly reduced paracercus, large lamella of gill I, and setation on hind margin of middle and hind femora confined to their basal halves. The second species, Oligoneuriopsis villosus Bojková, Godunko, & Staniczek, sp. nov., remarkably belongs to a mostly Afrotropical genus. The new species clearly differs from all its congeners in the shape of setae on the surface of gills and terga, pattern of body colouration, and the shape of posterolateral projections of abdominal segments. Except for the species description, the generic diagnosis of Oligoneuriopsis Crass, 1947 is briefly discussed. COI barcode sequences of both new species are provided and molecular species delimitation is tested using distance-based and likelihood-based approaches, with both new species unambiguously recognised as separate lineages. The analysis of COI also corroborates the respective affinities of both new species, estimated based on morphology. The two new species of Oligoneuriidae described herein highlight the importance of the Middle East as a centre of diversity of this mayfly family within the Palaearctic.

Meloscaphander grandis (Heterobranchia: Cephalaspidea), a deep-water species from the North Pacific: Redescription and taxonomic remarks.

Meloscaphander grandis is a little-known species missing from databases and papers on taxonomic revision and phylogenetic analysis of Scaphandridae. This species is redescribed herein, based on the type specimen and specimens from the abyssal plain adjacent to the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. A phylogenetic analysis of COI, 16S, and 28S markers show M. grandis to nest within the Scaphander clade. Additionally, Scaphander lignarius and S. bathymophilus are suggested to be a complex of cryptic species. Morphological differences between the genera Meloscaphander and Scaphander are of dubious significance and, when coupled with molecular data, give a strong reason for reconsidering Meloscaphander as a junior synonym of Scaphander. Thus, according to an integrative taxonomic analysis, Meloscaphander grandis has been transferred to the genus Scaphander. The diagnosis of the genus Scaphander is expanded. We propose new combinations as follows: Scaphander grandis (Minichev, 1967) comb. n. for Meloscaphander grandis, Scaphander sibogae (Schepman, 1913) comb. n. for Meloscaphander sibogae, and Scaphander imperceptus (Bouchet, 1975) comb. n. for Meloscaphander imperceptus. Due to the homonymy of Scaphander sibogae Schepman, 1913 (with a sunken spire) and Scaphander sibogae (Schepman, 1913) comb. n. (with an elevated spire), the name S. attenuatus Schepman, 1913 becomes valid for the former species (with a sunken spire).

Molecular phylogenetics of snailfishes (Cottoidei: Liparidae) based onMtDNA and RADseq genomic analyses, with comments on selectedmorphological characters.

Phylogenetic relationships of snailfishes of the family Liparidae were analyzed on the basis of two sets of molecular sequence data: one from the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit one gene (COI) and another from restriction-site associated genome-wide sequences (RADseq). The analysis of COI sequence data from at least 122 species of 18 genera from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern oceans resulted in a moderately well-resolved phylogeny among the major clades, albeit with significant polytomy among central clades. Nectoliparis was the sister of all other members of the family, followed by Liparis. Liparis, Careproctus, and Paraliparis were paraphyletic. Liparis was recovered in two closely related clades, with L. fucensis sister of all other liparids except Nectoliparis, and both Careproctus and Paraliparis were each recovered among at least three widely separated clades. The RADseq analysis of 26 species of 11 genera from the eastern North Pacific strongly confirmed the overall results of the COI analysis, with the exception of the paraphyly of Liparis due to the absence of L. fucensis. Our results show that the pelvic disc has been independently lost multiple times and the pectoral-fin girdle has been independently reduced in multiple lineages.

Parallel evolution of an alpine type ecomorph in a scorpionfly: Independent adaptation to high‐altitude environments in multiple mountain locations

Elucidation of the diversification process of organisms is one of the important tasks of biology. From the viewpoint of species diversity, insects are the most successful group among the diverse organisms on earth and evolutionary adaptation is one of the important factors driving this pattern. Evolutionary adaptation is one of the important factors in the diversification of insects. One of the representative examples of environmental adaptation in insects is the shortening and loss of wings in subalpine and alpine zones. In this study, we focused on the Japanese scorpionfly, Panorpodes paradoxus. In this species, individuals that inhabit mountainous regions and subalpine zones have long wings (the "general type"), and individuals that inhabit higher altitudinal ranges have short wings (the "alpine type"). We collected samples of all Japanese Panorpodes species and one Korean Panorpodes species, and conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses of the mtDNA COI (610bp), COII (688bp), and 16S rRNA (888bp) and nuDNA EF1-α (658bp) and 28S rRNA (524bp) regions in order to reveal the evolutionary history of the alpine type of P.paradoxus. As a result of molecular phylogenetic analyses, it was revealed that the alpine type of P.paradoxus was polyphyletic, and had evolved to become the alpine type at least twice independently at separate mountain locations. In addition, the result of divergence time estimation suggested that the alpine type is an "ecomorph", having recently adapted to low temperature habitats following mountain uplift within the Japanese Archipelago and subsequent glacial-interglacial cycles.

A new deep-water Tethya (Porifera, Tethyida, Tethyidae) from the Great Australian Bight and an updated Tethyida phylogeny

A new species of Tethya Lamarck, 1815 is described from a depth of 1000 m on the continental slope of the Great Australian Bight (GAB), southern Australia. The GAB slope was explored as part of systematic benthic surveys to understand unexplored communities in the light of current oil and gas exploration activity in the area. Tethya irisae sp. nov. was present at 1000 m in six of eight longitudinal depth surveys. Three molecular markers were obtained: COI, 28S (D3–D5) and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2. COI and 28S phylogenetic analyses show that the new species fits clearly within the genus Tethya. This is the 28th species of Tethya reported from Australia; it is unusual in that it has a stalk. The presence of a stalk as a morphological character to split genera in this family is questioned. The description of this new species is an opportunity to revisit the molecular phylogeny of the Tethyida Morrow &amp; Cárdenas, 2015 using comprehensive datasets of COI and 28S markers. As in previous analyses, four Tethya clades were retrieved; we discuss the possibility of using external colour to support some of these clades. Despite unclear phylogenetic relationships amongst Tethyidae Gray, 1848 from Australia, our results suggest that tethyid genera Tethytimea Laubenfels, 1936, Tectitethya Sarà, 1994, Laxotethya Sarà &amp; Sarà, 2002, Stellitethya Sarà, 1994, and Xenospongia Gray, 1858 derive from species of Tethya. We show that asters have been secondarily lost at least twice in the Hemiasterellidae Lendenfeld, 1889: in Liosina Thiele, 1899 and a potential new genus from northern Australia. We formally propose the reallocation of Liosina from Dictyonellidae van Soest, Diaz &amp; Pomponi, 1990 to Hemiasterellidae Lendenfeld, 1889.

Molecular characterisation of Meloidogyne enterolobii and other Meloidogyne spp. from South Africa

Identification of Meloidogyne spp. is challenging when using only the classical techniques since some species share similar characteristics. In this study, 37 Meloidogyne populations were obtained from four provinces in South Africa during 2015 and 2016 and molecularly characterised. We used SCAR-PCR markers and sequencing of four DNA fragments, viz. the D2-D3 segment (28S rDNA), COI, viable region between COII and 16S rDNA and NADH5 (mtDNA) genes. Using SCAR-PCR, M. enterolobii, M. javanica, M. incognita and M. hapla (in descending order of prevalence) were identified. According to D2-D3, COI, COII/16S and NADH5 sequence analyses, the 23 M. enterolobii populations identified clustered together in a well-supported clade, while M. javanica (9 populations) and M. incognita (5 populations) grouped in another. Results showed that D2-D3 and COI genes were appropriate for accurate identification of M. enterolobii, but not to differentiate among M. arenaria, M. incognita and M. javanica. Conversely, SCAR-PCR and NADH5 were more accurate in distinguishing among different Meloidogyne spp. In conclusion, SCAR-PCR was best for the situation of mixed populations.

Molecular identification of Rhipicephalus species (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing livestock from Iran

This study was designed to identify populations of Rhipicephalus sanguineus collected from Iran and also to study molecular taxonomy of Rhipicephalus species using cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) sequences. Tick specimens were collected from livestock (sheep and goat) in 14 Iranian provinces. DNA of individual specimens was extracted and PCR was done on these samples. So, 62 sequencing (33 COI and 29 ITS2) were done, successfully. Morphologically, we identified four Rhipicephalus species, namely R. bursa, R. sanguineus (s.l.), R. sanguineus (s.s.), and R. turanicus based on taxonomic keys. The data obtained from the phylogenetic analyses of COI and ITS2 fragments present a possible conflict regarding the identity of R. sanguineus species. Thus, the molecular identification of R. sanguineus group might be different according to mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. The results show a phylogenic conflict based on COI and ITS2 phylogeny in a tree topology. We dealt with three genetic entities in R. sanguineus group (i.e. R. sanguineus (s.s.), R. sanguineus (s.l.), and R. turanicus) based on COI phylogeny and two genetic clades (i.e. R. sanguineus (s.s.) and R. sanguineus (s.l.)/R. turanicus) according to ITS2 phylogeny.